This walk, or a similar walk, is available to download from our
Videowalks web site for just £1.49. The video walks take the form of detailed slideshows (typically around
20 minutes each) taking you all around the route, along with photographs and video clips of what you can see along the way.
The walks also come with printable directions in pdf format, including a 1:25,000 Ordnance Survey map excerpt showing the
route and photographs showing key directions.

This easy stroll is a wonderful way to see Kirkby Lonsdale and its many delights, the only climb being the '86' radical steps just before you reach Ruskin's view. This short circular walk can be started from any part of the walk and if you want to break off to enjoy Kirkby Lonsdale's many shops, narrow lanes, pubs, restaurants and tea rooms, you can. Kirkby Lonsdale is a historic market town, known by many for Devil's Bridge, dating back to around 1370 and Ruskin's view, which he described as the loveliest view in England and therefore the world. The scene has also been painted by Turner. Both these are visited on this short walk. The centre of Kirkby Lonsdale is a mix of elegant well preserved 18th-century buildings and stone cottages built around cobbled courtyards and narrow alleyways with names such as Salt Pie Lane, Horse Market and Jingling Lane.

Parking:

The walk starts from the parking area on the road that leads down to Devil's Bridge (grid reference SD 614 782). As this is free parking it can fill quite quickly, especially at weekends. There are several other pay and display car parks in Kirkby Lonsdale that can be used and then the walk can either be joined part way round, or simply walk the five or so minutes from the pay and display down to Devil's Bridge.

Leave the parking spaces and head downhill towards Devil's Bridge. After admiring the view from the bridge, take
the footpath through a metal kissing gate on the same side of the road as the toilets heading back towards the
parking spaces, following the green footpath sign for "Town Centre and Ruskin's View". Immediately on going
through the gate, take the path diagonally down to the right, which after a few yards reaches the edge of the
River Lune. If you do not want to go down to the water's edge, then carry straight on keeping to the right of
the fence. Continue walking away from the bridge for a couple of hundred metres, then head back left up the
banking to rejoin the path by the fence. Continue along this path, all the while heading away from the bridge.

Follow this path for a further few hundred metres where the path leaves the fence to go around the right-hand
side of a large tree. Shortly after this, go through a metal kissing gate, then four steps must be climbed and
descended on the left-hand side of the path, to get round the metal chain, which crosses the path. Continue
ahead on the now metalled path, which is now by the side of the river. After a further 70 metres the path again
becomes un-metalled, and continues on past a large stone faced house on the left opposite a grassy picnic area.
Continue ahead along the side of the river following the sign for "Radical Steps and Ruskin's View".

Radical Steps

The path slowly heads downwards and becomes bounded by a stone wall about two metres in height on the left and
the river on the right. When the wall ends turn left up the Radical Steps. The Radical Steps were built in 1819
by Francis Pearson. They were called Radical by the locals, due to Pearson's radical political persuasion. At
the top of the 86 steps of seemingly different sizes, turn right at the Gazebo following the sign for "Ruskin's
View 100 yards". Upon reaching Ruskin's View there is a board showing the layout of the surrounding hills.

The view here was described by John Ruskin in 1875 as one of the loveliest in England, therefore the World.
Painted by Turner in 1822, the scene presents a gentle panorama of river, meadow, woods and hills in almost
perfect balance. The panoramic view ranges from the Howgills in the North along over Middleton Fell, Calf Top
and then round to the East to Gragareth and Ingleborough. The landscape is as a result of the formation hundreds
of millions of years ago of the ancient rocks of the Howgills and Middleton Fells to the left and the later
limestone Hills of Gragareth and Ingleborough to the right. Having initially been led down under the sea these
hills were then left high above the flatter land by vertical shifts in the earth's crust along the fault lines
which run from left to right. The higher ground and the valleys were gradually eroded and weathered by glaciers
and rainwater over many thousands of years, with the soil being removed and deposited to from fertile meadows
in Middle Lunesdale in front of Ruskin's View.

Ruskin's View to the North-East looking towards the Howgills

Ruskin's View showing the course of the Lune

Ruskin's View to the East with the top of Ingleborough just visible

St Mary's Church

St Mary's Church

Turn round and head back to the towards the top of the Radical Steps, this time continuing straight into
the graveyard down the left-hand side of St. Mary's church, the oldest building in Kirkby Lonsdale. Where
the path forks with the right-hand fork continuing on in the graveyard, take the left fork at a black
lamppost down a small cobbled alleyway, which leads out into the old market square. Cross the square and
turn right into Mill Brow for the few yards which leads up onto Main street. Upon reaching this road at
the Wine Merchants, turn left and follow the one-way street past the Red Dragon Public House until a road
junction is reached. Turn left onto this road (Town End), effectively almost continuing on the same
direction, along the top of the Market Square, past the Tourist Information, then on for a further one
hundred metres where the A65 is reached. Turn left onto the A65 following the sign for Skipton for about
fifty metres, before turning left back down to the car parking spaces.